REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 11, 2024
FROM
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Indigent Disposition Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve the following contracts to provide indigent disposition services, for the period of June 11, 2024 through June 10, 2027, for a total amount not to exceed $750,000, with the option to extend the contracts for two one-year periods or one two-year period to the original term:
a. Wiefels & Son II, Inc., at a variable rate of $98 - $545 per decedent.
b. Sunset Funeral Care, LLC, at a variable rate of $390 - $1,495 per decedent.
2. Authorize the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator or Undersheriff to execute change orders to the contracts in Recommendation No. 1, as needed, subject to review by County Counsel, in an amount not to exceed $50,000 per change order, so long as the total aggregate amount of such change orders do not exceed $150,000, or 20% of $750,000, and the change orders do not amend the contract terms.
3. Direct the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator, or Undersheriff, to transmit all change orders to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Kelly Welty, Chief Deputy Director, 387-3760)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item may result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator (Department) has $150,000 included in its annual budget allocation to fund these services. The Department is not requesting additional Discretionary General Funding at this time, however, based on trend and required service levels, a request for additional funding may be included in a future budget report, if necessary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department is responsible for investigating all deaths that occur within San Bernardino County. This includes determining the cause of death and clarifying all circumstances surrounding or pertaining to the manner of death of a decedent. Approval of the non-exclusive contracts allows for the disposition of remains of indigent decedents residing in San Bernardino County at time of death who have no responsible relatives or whose responsible relatives are also indigent, as mandated by Health and Safety Code section 7104. The Department currently handles the disposition of approximately 700 indigent decedents per year.
PROCUREMENT
On February 27, 2024, Request for Proposals (RFP) No. SHR124-ADMSR-5151 was approved and released through San Bernardino County’s electronic Procurement Network (ePro) for the provision of indigent disposition services. The RFP was posted for 21 days and 28 registered vendors were contacted via e-mail notification; two vendors responded to the solicitation:
|
Vendor |
City/State |
|
Sunset Funeral Care, LLC |
Redlands, CA |
|
Wiefels & Son II, Inc. |
Yucca Valley, CA |
A committee consisting of four representatives from the Department’s Coroner Division and one representative from the Department’s Bureau of Administration evaluated the proposals. The evaluations were based upon the proposer’s qualifications, financial statements, professional references, and cost of the requested services. Through this evaluation process, the committee recommends awarding service contracts to both Wiefels & Son II, Inc. and Sunset Funeral Care, LLC. Having two providers available will ensure uninterrupted indigent disposition services during times of peak workload. No protests or appeals were received.
The recommended contract term is three years, from June 11, 2024 through June 10, 2027, with the option for two additional one-year extensions or one additional two-year extension to the original contract term. Either party may terminate the contract upon 30 days’ advance written notice.
County Policy No. 11-04 requires Board of Supervisors approval for all contracts for services that exceed $200,000 in aggregate cost per scope of service, per vendor, per department.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Grace B. Parsons, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 25, 2024; Purchasing (Jason Cloninger, Lead Buyer, 387-0321) on April 24, 2024; Finance (Erika Rodarte, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919) on May 24, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 24, 2024.